Family of St. John Parish hit-and-run victim still awaits answers 2 years later

Family members say Dione Duhe lived a fairly simple life in the small community of Reserve.

A hit-and-run accident left Dione Duhe dead two years ago. Her family is still looking for answers in her death.

Married with no children, the 36-year-old Duhe spent most of her time at church, at Walmart or with her large extended family.

And three times a week, she had to report to LaPlace Dialysis Center at the corner of Belle Pointe Boulevard and Airline Highway for treatments. Every Wednesday, said her aunt, Necohle Williams, Duhe would walk to the convenience store across the street, buy a newspaper, then return to the center to wait her turn. That is, apparently, what she was trying to do on the morning of Oct. 14, 2009.

But this time, something went horribly wrong.

Authorities say that as she tried to cross the street that morning at about 5:45, Duhe stepped into the path of a vehicle and was killed. The driver never stopped.

And two years later, her grieving family is still looking for answers.

"We still have this need to find out what happened," said Williams, who says she and Duhe, separated by only nine months, were more like sisters. "We just don't know. Why didn't you stop? What would make a person just keep going? I don't care if she walked in front of the car. You didn't stop. That's the crime. You don't hit a dog and keep going. They just left her out there like she was a piece of trash on the side of the road. She still belonged to somebody."

According to Trooper Melissa Matey, State Police spokeswoman, there are no new leads in Duhe's death. Nor are there any leads in two other fatal pedestrian hit-and-run accidents that have occurred in St. John the Baptist Parish within the last year.

On Oct. 23, 2010, Patrick Toney, 59, was trying to cross Airline Highway near the Chili's Restaurant when, authorities say, he stumbled backward from the turning lane into the path of a vehicle. Authorities said Toney was struck by four vehicles.

On April 3 of this year, authorities were called to the 400 block of Elm Street in LaPlace after receiving reports of a man lying in the street. Sheriff's deputies found Joseph McGee, 46, dead. An autopsy showed that McGee died from blunt force trauma, likely caused by a vehicle.

Initially, investigators believed Duhe had been struck by a light-colored pickup truck. But days later, State Police said they were looking for a dark-colored Mustang.

Williams said investigators have told the family that the driver might have been a plant worker from out of state who has since left the area.

But Williams said she believes -- and can't explain why -- that the driver is a local person.

"I just feel it in my heart," she said.

Williams said she has been frustrated by the pace of the investigation.

"Every lead we come up on, it's a dead end," she said. "And the other two cases, we haven't heard anything about those. "

Matey said Troop B investigated 5,498 crashes in the New Orleans area in 2010. Of those, 675 (12 percent) were hit-and-run crashes. So far in 2011, Troop B has investigated 4,616 crashes, 552 (12 percent) of which were hit-and-run crashes; 39 of those were in St. John Parish.

Hit-and-run accidents are very difficult to solve, Matey said.

"Unless we have a witness or video or evidence left on the scene, it's going to be hard for us to investigate the crash," Matey said. "By evidence, I mean vehicle parts. License numbers are always helpful. Any information is great. If you wake up and see your neighbor's car is bashed in and there is blood on it, somebody has to call us and say, 'Something isn't right.' Let us make the determination that it is or isn't a viable lead. It's better for us to investigate a lead that doesn't go anywhere than a lead that doesn't come in at all."

Duhe's family is not giving up. Besides pounding the pavement with fliers and working the Internet, they are getting some help. Crimestoppers has offered a reward for information concerning the case, and Williams said Lamar Advertising is considering putting Duhe on one of its public service billboards.

On Oct. 14, Duhe's large family gathered in Reserve for a candlelight vigil to remember her.

"We're just asking God to help touch the person for them to come forward," Williams said.

And to remember.

"We didn't forget," Williams said. "We still love you. The candlelight is our love still burning. People don't realize what they did to us. We have a big family, and we're all very close. But now there's a hole. An empty place at the table. It's hard to live with."